<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root class="wrapper">
  <h1 class="part">
    <p>Game Manual</p>
  </h1>
  <h1 class="chapter">
    <p>Core Rules</p>
  </h1>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Introduction</p>
  </h1>
  <p><Apathy/> is a paper &amp; pencil role-playing game. <Apathy>&#x2019;s</Apathy> authors have played a great many RPGs including D&amp;D, Heroes Unlimited, GURPS, Shadowrun, TMNT, various White Wolf games (Vampire, etc.), Deadlands, Heavy Gear, Rifts, and probably a few forgotten others. While these games are all fun, we felt that each game had various shortcomings that could be improved upon. Enter <Apathy>.</Apathy> <Apathy/> is designed to be a very flexible role-playing system. <Apathy/> can handle classic games with knights and dragons, as well as modern-day, Cyberpunk, superhero, or futuristic scenarios. It excels at fantasy games that blend all genres.</p>
  <p><Apathy/> is recommended for advanced role-players (or at least for experienced DM/GM/Storytellers). This is because the <Apathy/> system is designed for a unique mix of speed and realism rather than carefully &#x201C;balanced&#x201D; rules. The <Apathy/> rules make it very easy to make unbalanced (&#x201C;min-maxed&#x201D;) or tweaked characters. <Apathy/> is likewise not appropriate for &#x201C;rules lawyers&#x201D; or excessively anal GMs and players.</p>
  <p><Apathy/> was created around several core features. These are what make <Apathy/> a unique game system:</p>
  <ul class="itemized-list">
    <li>
      <p><Apathy/> has no fixed character classes, such as &#x201C;fighter&#x201D; or &#x201C;wizard&#x201D;, etc. Players can pick and choose every detail of their character, rather than being forced into set classes.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p><Apathy/> contains rules for all manner of technological and supernatural powers, weapons, items, and skills for characters to use. These range from archaic concepts like martial arts and swords, through ultra-modern concepts such as cybernetics and mecha&#x2014;and the supernatural abilities of magic, super powers, and psionics. These different elements can be used simultaneously without any one being excessively powerful.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>There are no discrete &#x201C;levels&#x201D; for character advancement. Characters develop and grow constantly, rather than infrequent, sudden, increases common to level-based games. There is a distinct and obvious increase in &#x201C;power&#x201D; as characters grow. This gives players the feeling that their characters are constantly improving as the game continues.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>The game rules are purposely devoid of &#x201C;fluff&#x201D; rules. Time-consuming (and therefore not fun) look-up tables and thick books of rules are nowhere to be found. <Apathy/> is designed to be fast to play. Most of the &#x201C;tables&#x201D; in the <Apathy/> manuals are just to explain things to the players and aren&#x2019;t used during play.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>While <Apathy/> is devoid of many &#x201C;clutter rules&#x201D;, it does have an emphasis on realism. <Apathy>&#x2019;s</Apathy> combat system is an excellent compromise between speed and realism.</p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>In any game of <Apathy>, </Apathy> the CHARACTERS are the heroes!</p>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Basic Terms</p>
  </h1>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>
        <span class="define">Action</span>
      </p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An action is the most basic unit of time during combat. It is roughly equal to one second of time. Most characters will have three Actions per turn, though certain things can increase or decrease this number. Note that as long as a character is conscious, he or she always has at least one Action per turn.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>
        <span class="define">Base Armor</span>
      </p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A character&#x2019;s natural resistance to bodily harm of unusual varieties, such as electricity or fire. You can think of this as &#x201C;toughness&#x201D; (not to be confused with the skill of the same name). A character&#x2019;s base armor reduces the damage they suffer from U (undefined) damage. Base Armor does not protect against any other form of damage, such as P, S, C, or D. Note, that if a character suffers any U damage, no matter how high their Base Armor might be, they always loose at least 1 HP.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p><span class="define">Crushing</span>,<span class="define">C</span></p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An abbreviation for <span class="define">crushing</span>. When used in conjunction with a weapon, it indicates that the weapon in question deals Crushing type damage. When used in conjunction with armor, it indicates how much Crushing damage the armor will defend against.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>CP</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Character Points. These are points you use to &#x201C;purchase&#x201D; skills, equipment, etc. for your character. CP can also be used to increase attributes according to a special table. See the section on character creation.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Character</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A persona within the game world that is adopted by a player. The player sees through the character&#x2019;s eyes, controls the character&#x2019;s Actions, and speaks through the character&#x2019;s mouth.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>D</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An abbreviation for Direct Damage. D damage is applied directly against the target&#x201D;s HP. Armor, including Base Armor, cannot protect against D damage. Fortunately, D damage sources are few and far between.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Game Master</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A person who is in the game that is not a player. The Game Master controls the game world that the players inhabit. He/she controls everything that is not the players. This includes other people (sometimes called non-player characters), monsters, natural events, etc. This is usually abbreviated as &#x201C;GM&#x201D;.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>HP</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Abbreviation for Hit Points. Hit Points are used to represent a character&#x2019;s health. If a character gets injured, their HP decreases. If a character reaches 0 HP, they fall unconscious. If a character reaches -X HP, where X is equal to their maximum HP, they are dead. Note that if a character is below 0 HP, they will loose 1 HP per turn (1 HP per 3 seconds when not in combat) due to bleeding, unless they are given medical attention.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>HTH</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>see Hand-to-Hand</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Hand-to-Hand</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Hand-to-hand is a special type of combat. It takes place when the combatants use no weapons of any kind. Thus, in hand-to-hand combat, only punches, kicks, and similar attacks will take place.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Luck</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Usually, this is short for Luck Points. Luck Points are accumulated during gameplay, and players redeem them for combat bonuses, or for saving their character&#x2019;s butt if things get rough. This is used to help unlucky die rolls from screwing over players. All major characters in the game, including significant NPCs, villains, etc. will have Luck Points. The GM is responsible for distributing Luck Points.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>MA</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Abbreviation for Martial Arts. It is sometimes used to refer to the Martial Arts skill. See the Martial Arts section for more information.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>MP</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Magic Points, also called Mana. Magic points measure how much magic a character can use in a certain amount of time. Each time magic is used MP are consumed. If a character has no MP, they cannot use any magic until the MP replenish. MP replenish naturally over time. See the Magic section for details.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Melee</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Melee is a special type of combat. Melee combat takes place when there are no projectile (launched, thrown, shot, etc.) weapons or attacks of any kind. Melee combat includes things like hand-to-hand fighting, or using weapons like swords, clubs, etc.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Missile</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A missile weapon is one that flies through the air in some manner. Throwing knives, sling bullets, thrown stones, spears, darts, and arrows are examples of missile weapons.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Non-Player Character</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A person controlled by the Game Master who interacts with the players. A non-player character is anyone in the game world not controlled by a player.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>NPC</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>See Non Player Character.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>P</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An abbreviation for Piercing. When used in conjunction with a weapon, it indicates that the weapon in question deals piercing type damage. When used in conjunction with armor, it indicates how much piercing damage the armor will defend against.  Piercing weapons usually have one or more sharp points on them.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>PC</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Power Cells. This is a measurement of energy or power for things like mecha, vehicles, robots, and power armor. Power, measured in PC, is produced by things like engines and is consumed by movement systems and weapons, etc. PC can also mean &#x201C;player character&#x201D;.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Player</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An actual person, like the authors of this manual&#x2013;or you&#x2013;who controls a character in the game world.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Round</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A &#x201C;round&#x201D; is the most general unit of time during combat. Any sequence of combat is broken down into one or more rounds. During each round, each combatant gets to take one turn. A round is over whenever all combatants have taken a turn (or are unable to for some reason).</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>S</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An abbreviation for Slashing. When used in conjunction with a weapon, it indicates that the weapon in question deals Slashing type damage. When used in conjunction with armor, it indicates how much Slashing damage the armor will defend against.  Slashing weapons typically have a sharp cutting edge.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Size</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A representation of the approximate Size of objects such as people, mecha, etc. Humans are Size level 2. Each Size level is approximately double the height and weight of the Size below it. So, Size 2 covers things up to about 7&#x201D; tall. Size 3, therefore, is about 14&#x201D; tall.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Turn</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>A turn is a unit of time during combat. Each round of combat is broken down into one turn per combatant. During each player&#x2019;s turn, they get to do whatever they want. A turn is roughly equal to three seconds of time. Each turn is subdivided into Actions (usually three).</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>U</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>An abbreviation for undefined damage. Undefined damage is a special type of damage that cannot be prevented by normal armor. It is usually caused by supernatural powers, magic, high tech weapons, and similar unusual sources. Normal (P/S/C) armor cannot protect against U damage. With very few exceptions, the ONLY thing that can protect a character from U damage is his or her Base Armor. Note, that if a character suffers any U damage, no matter how high their Base Armor might be, they ALWAYS loose 1 HP.</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Game World</p>
  </h1>
  <p><Apathy>,</Apathy> like most role-playing games, can be thought of like a play or a movie. The players are like the actors; their characters are the heroes and heroines of the story. Like a movie, a game can take place in any number of settings. The GM is like the director, and decides the intricacies of the game world.</p>
  <p>The GM should talk with the players and decide upon what kind of game world they would like to use. The GM can then finalize the details of that world, and should tell the players about it before the players make their characters and the game starts.</p>
  <p>Some things to think about when creating the game world are the following:</p>
  <ol class="numbered-list">
    <li>
      <p>Time Period: Medieval? Modern-day? Futuristic?</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Location: on Earth? A different planet? A particular city, perhaps?</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Level of technology</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Allowed game subsections: Magic? Psionics? Supernatural Powers? etc.</p>
    </li>
  </ol>
  <p>The <Apathy/> system contains sections for many different types of games and many different historical settings. The GM should decide which ones to allow for each game.</p>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Creating a Character</p>
  </h1>
  <p>The first step in playing <Apathy/> is determining your character concept. Talk to the GM and your fellow players for ideas about the game setting and what kind of character you might want to play. Your imagination is the only real limit as to what your character can be. Perhaps you want to play a heroic knight that fights for honor and puts monsters to the sword? Or maybe you&#x2019;d rather play a cunning and seductive thief with a hidden agenda. You could be a young mecha pilot&#x2014;inexperienced, but eager to fight for his cause. Your character is a hero in the game. You should take this opportunity to have fun and do things you can&#x2019;t do in real life.</p>
  <p>If you are having trouble thinking up a character concept, you might want to look to books, movies, or even historical precedent as to what kind of character you want to play. You could be a space mercenary like Han Solo from Star Wars, or maybe a secret agent like James Bond&#x2014;or perhaps an old-west gunslinger.</p>
  <p>Once you have an idea so to what kind of character you want to play, it&#x2019;s time to develop that idea. Think about what your character looks like. How old are they? How do they dress? What kinds of possessions do they have? What do they do for a living? What was their past? How would they react in a fight? What would they do if they were suddenly given a lot of money? What are their fears? Their hopes? Their goals?</p>
  <p>Now you should have a good understanding of your character&#x2019;s appearance, personality, skills, etc. What you need to do next is represent that idea in the <Apathy/> system rules. Grab a character sheet, and follow along.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Character Basics</p>
  </h1>
  <p>The first part of describing your character is very simple. Decide what your character&#x2019;s basic description is like. Are they male or female? How tall? What do they weigh? Fill in age, sex, height, weight, eyes color, and hair color/style on the upper right portion of your character sheet. Decide on your character&#x2019;s name, and fill that in too. There is also a spot on the character sheet for your name. Now you can move on to the details of your character.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Attributes</p>
  </h1>
  <p><Apathy/> models characters by means of a core attribute system. These attributes are numbers that describe the most basic characteristics of any given character. They are:</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>Basic Terms</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th align="center">
          <p>Abbr.</p>
        </th>
        <th align="left">
          <p>Name</p>
        </th>
        <th width="2.5in">
          <p>Definition</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>STR</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Strength</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>raw physical strength, muscle power</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>DEX</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Dexterity</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>quickness, coordination, fine motor control, balance</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>BLD</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Build</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>the toughness and durability of your body, stamina, &#x201C;guts&#x201D;</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>INT</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Intelligence</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>computational power of the mind, ability to grasp complex problems</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>WIS</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Wisdom</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>experience and background knowledge, common sense, etc.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>WIL</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Willpower</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>strength of the mind, ability to &#x201C;stick it out&#x201D; when things get tough</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>CHA</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Charisma</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>friendliness, social skills, dealing with people, personal presence, etc.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <div class="note">
    <p>Throughout this document the attributes will usually be mentioned using the three-letter abbreviation instead of the full name.</p>
  </div>
  <p>The first three attributes (STR, DEX, and BLD) are considered Physical Attributes. The second three attributes (INT, WIS, and WIL) are Mental Attributes. The seventh, CHA, is a little of both, but is generally considered to be a Mental Attribute.</p>
  <p>Each attribute is given a numerical score. 1 is the lowest possible attribute score.  Higher numbers represent increased ability in that attribute.  There is no top end on the scale, though an attribute of 20 is the peak of human ability. A human character can never have an attribute higher than 20 without some supernatural effect (such as magic, cybernetics, etc).  Attributes in the range of 10-11 are typical of the average human.</p>
  <p>When creating a character, the GM allows you a certain number of Attribute Points to spend on your desired attributes. Attribute points are used to purchase the attribute values you want your character to have. A normal human has about 40 attribute points. An above average human would have about 105&#x2013;140 attribute points. We recommend that 120 Attribute Points be assigned to starting characters&#x2014;after all, player characters are supposed to be heroic&#x2014;though the GM has the final word.</p>
  <p>The cost of an attribute is computed like a skill with Rank 1 (see the skill section later on). However, the final value for the attribute (for a Human) is increased by 8; that is, if you buy 5 levels of STR (for 15 AP), then the final value of the STR is <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mn>5</mn><mo>+</mo><mn>8</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>13</mn></mrow></math>.</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>Cost of Attributes</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th align="center">
          <p>Score</p>
        </th>
        <th align="left">
          <p>Cost</p>
        </th>
        <th width="2.5in">
          <p>Description</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Below 8</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>0</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Handicapped</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>8</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>0</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Impaired</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>9</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>1</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Below Average</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>10</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>3</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Average</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>11</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>6</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Average</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>12</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>10</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Above Average</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>13</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>15</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Above Average</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>14</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>21</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>High</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>15</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>28</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>High</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>16</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>36</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Very High</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>17</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>45</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Very High</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>18</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>55</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>World-class</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>19</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>66</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>World-class</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>20</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>78</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Peak of Ability</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>21</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>91</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Beyond Human</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>22</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>105</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Beyond Human</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <div class="note">
    <p>In most cases no player may have an attribute below 8. Attributes below 8 are considered handicapped and/or disabled, and such a character would probably not be adventuring!</p>
  </div>
  <div class="note">
    <p>If the GM deems it OK, then you may reduce an attribute below 8, but you get NO benefits (you wouldn&#x2019;t get points in another attribute for example). Why would you do this? Simple, its in your character concept. Would a 6-year-old child have an 8 STR? Not likely.</p>
  </div>
  <p>When recording your attributes on the character sheet, record the number of Attribute Points you spent on that attribute, this will help you when you wish to increase them later.</p>
  <div class="note">
    <p>No attribute can be above a 20 for a natural human. A 20 is considered the peak of human ability. 11 or so is average. Below 8 is considered handicapped for an adult human. Note that certain things can increase attributes above 20, such as supernatural powers, magic, cybernetics, etc.</p>
  </div>
  <p>General Character Points (see next section) can be used for increasing your attributes later on.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Sub-Attributes</p>
  </h1>
  <p>There are a number of &#x201C;sub-attributes&#x201D; that rely on your attributes to determine their value. The names, description, and method for determining their value are listed below.</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>Sub-Attributes</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th align="right">
          <p>Abbr.</p>
        </th>
        <th width="2.5in">
          <p>Definition</p>
        </th>
        <th width="1in">
          <p>Computation</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Lift</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>This determines how much weight the character can lift in pounds, in a &#x201C;good&#x201D; situation, such as a weighted barbell or a trunk with handles.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <msup>
                      <mi>STR</mi>
                      <mn>2</mn>
                    </msup>
                    <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
                    <mi>BLD</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>10</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Carry</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>This is the amount of weight the character can carry about his/her person for a reasonable length of time.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mi>Lift</mi>
                  <mn>2</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Encumbrance</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>This represents how much gear the character can wear before encountering adverse effects due to the weight and impaired mobility.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <mi>BLD</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>DEX</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>STR</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>6</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Base Armor</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Determines how resilient the character is to &#x201C;odd&#x201D; damage, such as lightning and fire.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <mi>BLD</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>WIL</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>6</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Movement</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>How fast the character is in &#x201C;squares per Action&#x201D;</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <mn>2</mn>
                    <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
                    <mi>STR</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>DEX</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>15</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Perception</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>How well the character can notice things around him. Used just like an attribute check.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <mi>DEX</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mn>2</mn>
                    <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
                    <mi>WIS</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>INT</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>4</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Interaction</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>The basic ability of a character to interact with other people.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mfrac>
                  <mrow>
                    <mi>CHA</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>WIS</mi>
                    <mo>+</mo>
                    <mi>INT</mi>
                  </mrow>
                  <mn>3</mn>
                </mfrac>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Hit Points</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>The amount of damage you can receive before dying.</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mrow>
                  <mi>BLD</mi>
                  <mo>+</mo>
                  <mi>WIL</mi>
                </mrow>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Magic Points</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>The number of Magic Points you can draw on to cast magic spells or perform supernatural feats</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>
              <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
                <mrow>
                  <mo>(</mo>
                  <mi>WIL</mi>
                  <mo>+</mo>
                  <mi>BLD</mi>
                  <mo>)</mo>
                  <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
                  <mn>10</mn>
                </mrow>
              </math>
            </p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <p>If the equations generate any fractions, round them to the nearest whole number.</p>
  <p>Encumbrance, Base Armor, HP, and MP will be discussed in more detail in later sections. Keep this in mind as you may need to update them later.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Character Points</p>
  </h1>
  <p>The remainder of the character creation process is done through the expenditure of Character Points, otherwise known as CP. Talk with your GM about how many CP you should use to create your character with. We have found that for a group of 3-4 players 125 CP is about right. Typically the more players, the fewer CP characters should have. This will keep the group from becoming too powerful&#x2014;unless this is the GM&#x2019;s intent.</p>
  <p>You will use your CP to &#x201C;purchase&#x201D; the remainder of your character. The rest of your character is broken into three categories where you will spend these points:</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Mundane</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <dl class="description-list">
        <dt>
          <p>Attributes</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>increasing starting attributes</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Skills</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>normal skills, proficiency and knowledge of various topics</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Combat Skills</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>techniques for fighting and defense.</p>
        </dd>
      </dl>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Arcane / Magic</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <dl class="description-list">
        <dt>
          <p>Spellcasting</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Wizardry / Sorcery</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Psionics</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Innate special powers</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Witchcraft or Ritual Magic</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Magical rituals, items, and similar arts</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Supernatural abilities</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Super Powers and Arcane Martial Arts</p>
        </dd>
      </dl>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Technology</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <dl class="description-list">
        <dt>
          <p>Mecha and Robotics</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Robotic bodies, limbs, powered armor, and robotic suits</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Augmentations</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Cybernetics, genetic mutations, and chemical augmentations</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Weapons</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>Knives, swords, axes, guns, grenades, and the like</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Armor</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p>body armor and shields</p>
        </dd>
        <dt>
          <p>Equipment</p>
        </dt>
        <dd>
          <p> &amp; other material possessions</p>
        </dd>
      </dl>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <div class="note">
    <p><Apathy/> does not have &#x201C;character classes&#x201D; that are common to many role-playing systems. The <Apathy/> system allows the player to decide every detail pertaining to his character, rather than being stuck with a &#x201C;default&#x201D; set of abilities and skills. It is up to the player to use his CP to develop a well-rounded character. Note that there are NO skills that come &#x201C;free&#x201D; unless the GM tells you otherwise. If your character is literate, then that skill needs to be purchased. Know how to drive a car? Buy the skill.</p>
  </div>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Increasing Attributes (optional)</p>
  </h1>
  <p>If your attributes aren&#x2019;t quite where you desire, you will need to get more Attribute Points so you can purchase a better attribute. Each Attribute Point costs 1 Character Point. Once you purchase the number of Attribute Points you want, just look at the table found in the Attributes section above to see how many total Attribute Points you must spend to get that attribute.</p>
  <p>You must pay a number of Attribute Points equal to the difference between what you want, and what you already have. For example: if you currently have an 11 STR (6 Attribute Points) and wish to increase it to a 14 (21 Attribute Points) that will cost you 15 Attribute Points (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mn>9</mn><mo>-</mo><mn>4</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>5</mn></mrow></math>). Since Attribute Points cost 1 Character Point each, going from an 11 in an attribute to a 14 will cost 15 CP.</p>
  <p>Remember to keep track of how many Attribute Points you have spent on your attributes so you can easily increase them at a later date.</p>
  <p>Note that attribute increases are major additions to your character, and they should be role-played as such. Significant attribute changes represent months if not years of hard work! Here are some examples of possible means of increasing attributes:</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>STR</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Weight training, melee combat, some sports</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>DEX</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Melee combat, exercises, games of skill, crafts, some sports</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>BLD</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Hard labor, combat experience, martial arts training</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>INT</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Study, school</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>WIS</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Study, meditation, aging</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>WIL</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Aging, surviving a traumatic event, meditation/introspection </p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>CHA</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Attending social functions, altering ones appearance</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Skills</p>
  </h1>
  <p>All characters have skills. Skills represent what your character has learned and what they know how to do. Other than being useful in game, skills help to distinguish your character from everyone else in the world. Are you going to play a diplomat? You better have diplomacy, law, and similar skills. A warrior? Better have that shield and/or weapon skills handy!</p>
  <p>Skills have a number of pieces of information associated with them. They have a Rank, Associated Attribute, Description, and Level.</p>
  <p>The rank determines how hard a skill is to learn. Higher the rank, the more time and CP it will take to get better at it. Rank 1 skills are the simplest and easiest to learn. Skills that are more difficult have higher ranks. Rank can also be thought of as the &#x201C;cost&#x201D; or &#x201C;price&#x201D; of a skill.</p>
  <p>An associated attribute tells you what attribute is used in the skill roll. This is the attribute that is used along with any particular skill. This is discussed in more detail below.</p>
  <p>The description will let you know the scope of Actions that a skill encompasses. The things listed are not the only things available under that skill, but just some of the more common applications of the skill. If you have a question, ask your GM about his take on a particular skill.</p>
  <p>Level is how good your particular character is at the skill. You will use CP to purchase levels in a skill, which is discussed below. If you don&#x2019;t know a skill at all, you have Level 0 in that skill&#x2014;meaning you don&#x2019;t know anything about it. The more you know about the skill, the higher your level. This is often abbreviated as &#x201C;Lvl&#x201D;(alt. &#x201C;LVL&#x201D;). You must purchase your skill levels with CP. Below is a simple chart indicating what different levels correspond to:</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>Skill Level and Descriptive Equivalents</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th>
          <p>Level</p>
        </th>
        <th align="left">
          <p>What it means</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>0</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>No knowledge of the skill.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>1</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Amateur. You know something about it.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>2</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Had some training or experience</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>3</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Beginning professional or serious hobbyist</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>4</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Professional</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>5</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Experienced professional</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>6</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Exceptionally good. Among the best in the country.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>7</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Among the best in the world.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>8+</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Among the best ever</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <p>Like most of character creation, skills are purchased using CP. The higher the rank, the more expensive it will be. The higher the level you want in the skill, the more expensive it will be.</p>
  <p>For those that are mathematically inclined, we provide a formula for determining CP of a particular skill level and rank.</p>
  <div class="equation">
    <p>
      <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
        <mrow>
          <munderover>
            <mo>&#x2211;</mo>
            <mrow>
              <mi>i</mi>
              <mo>=</mo>
              <mn>1</mn>
            </mrow>
            <mo>n</mo>
          </munderover>
          <mrow>
            <mi>i</mi>
            <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
            <mi>Rank</mi>
          </mrow>
          <mo>=</mo>
          <mrow>
            <mi>Rank</mi>
            <mo>&#xD7;</mo>
            <mfrac>
              <mrow>
                <msup>
                  <mi>n</mi>
                  <mn>2</mn>
                </msup>
                <mo>+</mo>
                <mi>n</mi>
              </mrow>
              <mrow>
                <mn>2</mn>
              </mrow>
            </mfrac>
          </mrow>
        </mrow>
      </math>
    </p>
  </div>
  <p>For the rest of us, use this nifty table, and multiply the value listed by the rank.</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>CP cost of Desired Level, precomputed</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th>
          <p>Desired Level</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>1</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>2</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>3</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>4</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>5</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>6</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>7</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>8</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>9</p>
        </th>
        <th>
          <p>10</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>CP Cost for Rank 1</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>1</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>3</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>6</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>10</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>15</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>21</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>28</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>36</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>45</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>55</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>CP Cost for Rank 2</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>2</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>6</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>12</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>20</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>30</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>42</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>56</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>72</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>90</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>110</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>CP Cost for Rank 3</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>3</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>9</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>18</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>30</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>45</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>63</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>84</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>108</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>135</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>165</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <p>See the trend?</p>
  <p>If not, here&#x2019;s yet another way to look at purchasing skills.</p>
  <p>To get level 1 of a skill, you must spend the Rank in CP. To get to the next level, add the rank of the skill to the amount of CP you spent the last time you increase the skill (and just that last increase, not the total amount you&#x2019;ve spent on the skill) and that is the amount that you need to spend.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Computing Skill Cost</p>
    </h1>
    <p>I want to purchase the shield skill (rank 2). To get Lvl 1 I would need to spend 2 CP. Now, if I want to go from Lvl 1, to Lvl 2, I would add the rank (2) to the amount I spent on the last level increase (2 CP), to get the new cost, in this case I would need to spend a total of 4 CP (rank of 2 + 2 CP from last purchase). So now the total amount I have spent on this skill is 6 CP. Lets say I&#x2019;m not happy with my Lvl 2 shield skill, and wish to upgrade it to level 3. I would again take the rank (2) and add it to the amount I spent on the last increase (4) to get the number of CP I must spend to upgrade the skill. In this case, I must spend an additional 6 CP. Therefore, to get a level 3 shield skill (or any skill or rank 2), I must spend a total of 12 CP.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>If you take a look at the little chart above, you will see that at the desired skill level (3) the CP cost is a 6, which I then multiply by the rank (2) to get 12 CP, the same thing I got when I did it out by hand.</p>
  <p>Note that the chart will only tell you how many total Character Points. To get the number of CP needed to increase to the next level, just subtract the upper number from the lower one. A more complete version of the above table can be found at the end of this manual.</p>
  <p>Once you are in game and earning experience, you can increase the level of a skill you currently have at least one level in by paying the appropriate CP cost. If you wish to learn the first level of a skill you don&#x2019;t have yet, it takes a number of weeks of intense studying equal to the rank of the skill.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Skill Specialization (optional)</p>
  </h1>
  <h1 class="subsubsection">
    <p>Specialization in most Skills</p>
  </h1>
  <p>It is possible to specialize in many skills. When specialized, a character knows more about a certain aspect of the skill than other parts of the skill. In game terms, you are +1 LVL when performing a check in the area of your specialization, but are -4 to your roll when you are performing a check outside of your specialization. Specializing does NOT cost any extra CP.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>History&#x2192;Spanish</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Ralf Gr&#xF6;sse-Kunstleve is a historian. Specifically, he is knowledgeable about Spanish history. He has a LVL 3 History skill with a specialization in Spanish History. This means that if Juan had to make a skill check related to Spanish history, he would roll 4 dice. (3 from his LVL, +1 from the specialty.) However, if he had to make a History roll about another kind of history, he would only roll 3 dice, and be at a -4 to his roll.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Note that you can choose to buy a particular skill more than once with different specialties, if you feel like it. When this happens the roll for &#x201C;outside of specialty&#x201D; skill checks is the highest of the skill levels -4 +1 for each skill beyond the first.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Chemistry&#x2192;WMD</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Dr. Klotzenstein is a scientist. He has LVL 3 Chemistry with a specialty in Chemical weapons and poisons. As well, he has LVL 4 Chemistry with a specialization in the chemistry of explosives. Dr. Klotzenstein&#x2019;s rolls are as follows:<ul class="itemized-list"><li><p>For Weapons/poisons: 4 dice</p></li><li><p>For Explosives: 5 dice</p></li><li><p>For Non-specialty rolls, 5 dice -3.</p></li></ul></p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>It is possible to specialize in most skills. Talk to your GM about specializing to see which skills you think are appropriate and which ones are not.</p>
  <p>Specializing in skills is purely optional.</p>
  <h1 class="subsubsection">
    <p>Specialization applied to Weapon skills</p>
  </h1>
  <p>It is also possible to specialize in weapon skills. If a character has a specialized weapon skill that means that he is especially proficient with a very specific type of weapon. When wielding a weapon that matches a character&#x2019;s specialty, that character receives +1 LVL to the skill. This bonus applies to attack (strike) rolls, and defensive rolls (parry), if applicable. When using a weapon that is outside the character&#x2019;s specialty, the character is at -1 LVL. Note that Weapon skill specialization does NOT affect damage rolls.</p>
  <p>Specializing in a weapons skill costs 3 CP in addition to the normal cost of the skill. Specializing can be applied to all weapon proficiency type skills and the shield skill.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Axes&#x2192;Nordic War Axe</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Bj&#xF8;rgen is a warrior with a liking for the Nordic War Axe. He has the skill &#x201C;Archaic Weapons: Axes&#x201D; at level 3. As well, he is specialized in the Nordic War Axe. The total skill cost is 9 CP. That is 6 CP for Level 3 in a Rank 1 skill, Plus 3 CP from the specialization. When welding a Genuine Nordic War Axe&#x2122;in combat, Gunnar has 4 dice. However, when using any other kind of axe Gunnar only has 2 dice.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Note that some unusual or esoteric weapons require specialization. This is because those weapons are different enough from common weapons that they require special knowledge and experience in order to use them properly.</p>
  <p>Most characters that specialize in weapons are very particular about their weapons. For the character it is almost an obsessive-compulsive issue to wield a particular weapon. Generally the weapon must be very specific in order to satisfy the specialty. In medieval campaigns, a weapon specialty might require a sword forged by a particular smith, or arrows made from a certain type of wood. In a modern campaign, a weapon specialty might entail a particular make and model of rifle.</p>
  <p>Specializing in skills is purely optional.</p>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Rules (Rolls)</p>
  </h1>
  <p>What would an RPG be without rules? <Apathy/> has a set of rules that allow for just about any occurrence that an imaginative GM can put the players through.</p>
  <p>Lets start with the basics (some of this will be review):</p>
  <p>In <Apathy>,</Apathy> there are three different types of die rolls. Every time you roll a die when playing <Apathy>,</Apathy> you will use one of these sets of rules.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Attribute Checks</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Attribute checks are required anytime the GM wants to see if you did something solely based on an attribute. They are used whenever a player wants their character to do something tricky. Attribute checks are purely based on a character&#x2019;s core attributes. They are completely separate from skills. If a player needs to do something based on a particular skill, then see the skill roll section below.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Catch a Pack</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Barnacleez is trying to catch a pack that was thrown at him. The GM requires him to make a DEX check to see if he successfully caught the pack.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Swim a Long Distance</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Thomas is trying to swim a long distance while carrying a heavy load. He has to roll a BLD check to see if he has enough stamina to make the swim.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Decipher Symbols</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Wendy is trying to decipher the meaning of some strange symbols written on a wall. Since she has no applicable skills, the GM determines that she needs to make an INT check in order to figure out what they mean.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Attribute checks are always rolled the same. Roll ONE twenty-sided die, add the attribute to the die, and add any bonuses or negatives. If the total (die roll + attribute + bonuses + negatives) is 25 or higher, then the check succeeded. If you roll a 1, you fail automatically, no matter what your bonuses or attributes are. If you roll a 20, you succeed automatically, no matter what the negatives might be. For an attribute check, you always roll just one 20-sided die.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Contest of Attributes</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Contests of Attributes occur whenever two characters are competing at something that is largely dependent on an attribute and nothing else. Arm wrestling is a contest of strength. Racing to complete a puzzle is a contest of intelligence. A trivia game would be a contest of wisdom, etc.</p>
  <p>A contest of attributes occurs only when there are multiple competitors (generally two) and only when there is no particular skill involved. For example, arm wrestling is a contest of strength but a game of 1-on-1 basketball is generally not, because basketball is a complex game requiring more than pure athletic capability.</p>
  <p>When a contest of attributes occurs, all competitors roll <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bns"/></span> and add the result to their attribute. The highest score wins, and like scores tie. The GM may wish to impose negatives and/or bonuses depending on the exact circumstances of the contest.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Douglas vs. Enemy Soldier</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Douglas (STR 13) is fighting with an enemy solider (STR 12) over the possession of a single rifle. The GM declares that a contest of strength will resolve who manages to gain possession of the rifle. The GM rolls for the solider (a three) and Douglas rolls a 1. The enemy soldier has a total of 15, and Douglas has 14. Therefore, the enemy soldier wrestles the rifle out of Douglas&#x2019;s hands.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Skill Rolls</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Skill rolls are used whenever a player wants to use one of his character&#x2019;s skills. They are also used whenever two characters are competing at something (Contest of skills) related to a skill. Skill rolls are also used &#x201C; to strike&#x201D; or &#x201C;to defend&#x201D; in combat.</p>
  <p>To determine if you are successful in performing a skill, roll a number of D20s equal to the Level you have purchased the skill in. To each die, add your current attribute referenced by the associated attribute value of the skill. Each time a die with this value added to it reaches 25 or above, this is called a success. If you have at least one success, you successfully performed the skill. Rolling a &#x201C;20&#x201D; on a die will give you +1 successes to however many you rolled normally. Note that this makes it possible to have more successes than you have levels in a given skill. Likewise, a roll of &#x201C;1&#x201D; is -1 successes to your total. If you have negative successes (caused by rolling more 1s than successes) then you have a critical failure! In the case of a critical failure the GM will determine what (negative) outcome happens!</p>
  <div class="figure">
    <table class="display-table">
      <caption>
        <p>Sample outcomes of Critical Failures</p>
      </caption>
      <thead>
        <th align="left">
          <p>Roll</p>
        </th>
        <th align="left">
          <p>Sample Outcome</p>
        </th>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Strike (sword)</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>Sword breaks or is dropped</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Strike (gun)</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>gun jams or misfires</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Parry</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>you drop your weapon and are struck by the incoming blow</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Diplomacy</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>you make a faux pas that offends the parties involved</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Deception</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>you are caught &#x201C;red handed&#x201D; in a blatant lie</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
          <td>
            <p>Medicine</p>
          </td>
          <td>
            <p>you make an outright mistake, harming the patient.</p>
          </td>
        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
  <p>The GM will give penalties and/or bonuses to your skill roll based on the difficulty of the Action you are performing and what circumstances may be surrounding it. When such a negative or bonus is given, this is subtracted from the associated attribute value, not the number of dice rolled for a skill.</p>
  <p>Basically stated, skill rolls work like this: Roll <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">20</span><span class="bns"/></span> for each level you have in the skill. To each die, add your associated attribute and any negatives or bonuses the GM gives you. If the total on each die is 25 or greater that is a success. If the die rolls a 20, regardless of bonuses, attributes, etc. you get +1 successes. If a die rolls a 1, regardless of bonuses, etc. you get -1 success.</p>
  <p>Note that the Maximum you can ever add to your die roll&#x2014;no matter how high your attribute or bonuses to succeed might be&#x2014;is 20.</p>
  <p>Also, if you are doing something simple with respect to your skill level then you don&#x2019;t have to roll dice at all. It&#x2019;s assumed that you succeed examples.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Lookup Internet Address</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Amy has the Computer Use skill at level 3. She wants to look up an Internet address on the computer that she thinks might give the players some needed information. Since this is a simple task and she has a significant level in the associated skill (Computer Use), then the GM rules that she does so automatically, with no roll needed.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Investigate Mysterious Person</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Amy is still on the Internet. Now she is attempting to dig up some information about a mysterious person. The GM determines that Amy needs to use her Level 2 Investigation skill. Amy has a 13 WIS, the associated attribute for Investigation. The GM tells her that this is a normal difficulty skill, and there is no bonus or negative. So Amy rolls <span class="roll"><span class="num">2</span><span class="face">20</span><span class="bns"/></span> for the skill and rolls a 6 and a 13. After adding her WIS to each roll, she has a 19 and a 26. Only the 26 is a success since it is 25 or above. Since she has at least one success, Amy is able to find the information she was looking for.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Fix a Beater</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Chris is trying to fix an old car so he and his fellow characters can use it. The GM determines that this falls under the Mechanic: General skill. Chris has a level 2 in that skill. Furthermore, the GM determines that since the car is in really bad shape, that Chris has a -3 to his roll. Chris has a 12 DEX. Chris rolls his dice and gets a 1 and a 16. (Chris is rolling two dice because he has a level 2 skill) Adding his DEX to those rolls, Chris now has a 13 and a 28. The 13 isn&#x2019;t 25 or above, so it fails, but the 28 succeeds. So far, Chris has 1 success. However, the &#x201C;1&#x201D; Chris rolled is -1 success. So, this gives Chris a total of 0 successes&#x2014;meaning the car didn&#x2019;t get fixed.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Shoot a Large Robot</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Billy is a cybernetic gunfighter with a 22 DEX. He is trying to shoot an enemy robot. The GM determines that Billy gets a bonus of +3 to shoot the robot because its so large. Normally, Billy would roll his dice and add +25 to each one: +22 from his DEX and +3 from the Size bonus. However, this gets capped at +20. Thus, Billy only gets to add +20 to each of his dice.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Called Shot to Arm</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Billy is still fighting the same giant robot. This time, he&#x2019;s trying to make a called shot and shoot the robot in the arm. The GM determines that Billy gets a +3 bonus due to the robot&#x2019;s Size, but also a -4 to strike because of the called shot to the arm. Thus, Billy adds up his bonuses: +22 from DEX +3 from Size and -4 for the called shot. This adds up to +21, but the bonus is capped at +20. Again, Billy adds +20 to his dice. Notice that the &#x201C;+20 cap&#x201D; is applied AFTER all the bonuses and negatives are added up.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Contest of Skills</p>
  </h1>
  <p>A contest of skills occurs when two people are trying to defeat each other in some manner with their skills. If two characters were competing to see who could sing better, the character with the largest number of successes of the singing skill would win. The most common example of this is combat. In order to be successful in a combat situation&#x2014;such as attempting to hit an opponent with a sword while he is blocking with a shield, the initiator (or attacker) of the Action must make more successes than the defender.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Tom and the Shopkeeper in a Contest</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Tom is attempting to purchase an expensive suit of armor, and doesn&#x2019;t want to pay full price. So he is haggling with the shopkeeper selling it.  This calls for the use of Tom's Bargaining skill. The shopkeeper also has the Bargaining skill, so a contest of skills ensues. Tom has a skill level of 3, and a WIS of 13 (the associated attribute for Bargaining); the shopkeeper has a level 4 Bargaining (he&#x2019;s been at it longer than Tom has), and a WIS of 10.</p>
    <p>Tom rolls 3 dice and gets a &#x201C;14&#x201D;, &#x201C;20&#x201D;, and a &#x201C;3&#x201D;. Tom now adds his wisdom (13) to each of these. The GM didn&#x2019;t give any negatives or bonuses, so that is all that gets added. After adding, the totals are 27, 33, and 16. Two of these are 25 or higher, so Tom has two successes so far. Note that Tom rolled one 20&#x2014;which gives him an additional success. Tom has a total of three successes.</p>
    <p>The shopkeeper rolls four dice (remember, he has a level 4 Bargaining), and gets a &#x201C;1&#x201D;, &#x201C;12&#x201D;, &#x201C;15&#x201D;&#x201D;, and an &#x201C;18&#x201D;. After adding the shopkeeper&#x201D;s WIS of 10, we get the following rolls: &#x201C;11&#x201D;, &#x201C;22&#x201D;, &#x201C;25&#x201D;, and &#x201C;28&#x201D;. The 25 and 28 are both successes, but the &#x201C;1&#x201D; is a -1 success, so the shopkeeper has 1 total success.</p>
    <p>Tom has 3 successes, and the shopkeeper has 1. Since Tom initiated the bargaining, and has more successes than the &#x201C;defender&#x201D;, he is successful in his attempt to reduce the price of the armor. How much is determined by the GM, but it should be commensurate with the number of successes that Tom beat the shopkeeper by.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>The winner of a contest of skills is whomever rolled the highest number of successes. The margin of success is based on the difference between the two rolls. For example, if the &#x201C;winner&#x201D; had only 1 more success than the &#x201C;loser&#x201D;, then the contest was close. However, if the &#x201C;winner&#x201D; had three more successes than the loser, then it was a decisive victory!</p>
  <p>Ties are left up to the GM to resolve. The suggested protocol is as follows:</p>
  <p>If the tie occurred on a contest that entails a single past event or is something that is &#x201C;judged&#x201D; by outsiders, then the winner is the character with the higher associated attribute. (Example: who can paint a better picture, etc.)</p>
  <p>If the contest entails an ongoing event (such as the haggling over a suit of armor detailed above) then it is assumed that the competitors &#x201C;keep at it&#x201D; and a second roll is in order.</p>
  <p>The rules for combat are slightly more complicated; see below.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Skill Rolls and Related Skills</p>
  </h1>
  <p>If a character needs to make a skill roll and that character knows other skills that are somehow related to (or are similar to) the skill to be rolled, that character is generally entitled to a bonus to his or her roll. The exact terms of the bonus, including what skills qualify as &#x201C;related&#x201D;, is determined by the GM on a case-by-case basis. The general rule is that each level of a related skill conveys a +1 to the roll. The maximum possible bonus from related skills is +5, regardless of the circumstances.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Paul repairing a device</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Paul is attempting to repair an electronic device. The GM asks Paul to roll his Electronics skill, which Paul has at lvl 4. Paul mentions that he also knows the skills Electrical Engineering: 2, Electrician: 3, Mechanic: General: 3, and Communications/Telco: 3. The GM determines that since this device is purely electronic, Paul&#x2019;s Mechanic skill is of no use. As well, the GM decides that since this device is unrelated to communications, Paul&#x2019;s Communications skill does not apply either. However, the GM decides that Paul&#x2019;s Electrical Engineering and Electrician skills are relevant. The GM assigns Paul a bonus of +5 to his roll from his levels in those related skills.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Related Skill bonuses NEVER apply to combat skills or any skill used in a combat situation.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>All Other Rolls</p>
  </h1>
  <p>This type of die rolling is used for just about everything else in the game: rolling damage from combat, the duration of magical spells, or the number of monsters appearing in a group.</p>
  <p>Rolling dice is represented in the <span class="roll"><span class="rOff">&#xB1;</span><span class="raw">R</span><span class="num">X</span><span class="face">Y</span><span class="bOff">&#xB1;</span><span class="bns">Z</span><span class="kind">K</span></span> format; for example <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span>. This means that you roll three individual 4-sided dice, and add 1 to each die.</p>
  <p>If any die roll with its bonus added in equals or betters the maximum value on a die, then you get a rollover. When a rollover happens, re-roll that die, without any bonus, and add its value to the total. If the roll again has the highest value on the die, then another rollover happens. This keeps going until the highest value on the die is not rolled. Remember, after the first roll, the bonus is not applied; it&#x2019;s just the raw die roll.</p>
  <p>This may sound confusing, so we&#x2019;ll work with the example from above. Let&#x2019;s say you have to roll <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span>. You get some four-sided dice and roll three of them. Suppose the results are: 1, 3, and a 4. After adding the +1 (from the die bonus), we now have: 2, 4, and 5. We add all the totals up and get 11. Now we have to deal with the rollovers. Because the highest value on a four-sided dice is a 4, we have two rollovers: the 4 and 5. So we roll each of these again, without the original bonus, and get a 2 and 4. We add these to the total yielding 17. But wait, we have yet another rollover (the 4). So we roll that die again, and get a 3. We now have a total of a 20 for our <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span> die roll.</p>
  <p>The same rules apply for any die. Lets say you are rolling six-sided dice. If any die (after bonuses) has a 6 or higher, then you get a rollover. On an eight-sided die? You guessed it; a roll of 8 or higher will yield a rollover.</p>
  <p>If you have bonuses or negatives to a roll, add them up first, then perform the final roll.</p>
  <p>Note that if there is a minus to the die roll once all the bonuses/penalties are added up, then no rollover is possible. An example is <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">-</span><span class="bns">1</span></span>. Even if you roll a 4 on the die it will be reduced to a 3, which does not yield a rollover. No die (even after negatives) can give a value less than 1. So, if you have a <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bOff">-</span><span class="bns">4</span></span>, and roll a 2 (which would theoretically total -2), then the actual total would be 1.</p>
  <p>Along with what is given above, die rolls might have a raw bonus. This is represented by a bonus in brackets such as this: <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span><span class="rOff">+</span><span class="raw">4</span><span class="kind"/></span> (alt. <span class="roll"><span class="raw">4</span><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span> ). Raw Bonuses are added to the resultant total of a die roll, NOT to each die; thus they do not affect rollovers at all. This bonus is added in after all the rollovers are done with. Consider the prior example of <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span> but with the [+4] added. That would be written <span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span><span class="rOff">+</span><span class="raw">4</span><span class="kind"/></span>. The total using the above numbers would be 24.</p>
  <p>Unless otherwise stated, all non-skill die rolls use this system.</p>
  <h1 class="section">
    <p>Combat Sequence &amp; Initiative</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Combat is based on a system of Rounds, Turns, and Actions. A &#x201C;round&#x201D; lasts about five seconds. It is the length of time in which all combatants have done something. Each round is broken down into Actions. An Action lasts about 1 second. Each combatant gets one or more Actions during each round. When all combatants have used up their Actions, the current round is over and a new one starts.</p>
  <p>During your turn, you determine what you wish to do with your available Actions. Almost everything that you do of significance during your turn consumes an Action Simple examples of what can be done in an Action are shooting a gun, swing a sword, moving, or using a mystical ability. Keep in mind that a lot of &#x201C;boring&#x2019; combat stuff also takes up Actions: reloading your weapon, moving around, ducking behind cover, or taking an item out of your pack. Some things that you will want to do will consume multiple Actions per turn.</p>
  <p>All characters, by default, have three Actions per round. Certain skills or in-game effects might change this. When combat is going to start, all players need to figure out how many Actions they get. (typically, this will be 3 each).</p>
  <p>At the beginning of combat, all characters must roll initiative. This determines who attacks first in the turn. When combat starts, participants must roll a <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">20</span><span class="bns"/></span> for their initiative.</p>
  <p>Various bonuses or penalties apply to initiative rolls. Certain skills and magical effects can alter initiative. As well, the GM may apply initiative bonuses or penalties depending on game situations, such as surprise attacks or ambushes.</p>
  <div class="note">
    <p>Most characters will have 3 Actions per turn. All three Actions are taken at the same time, on that character&#x2019;s initiative.</p>
  </div>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Tom&#x2019;s Turn in Combat</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Tom is in combat. Tom has three Actions and he rolled an 11 as his initiative. When it&#x2019;s Tom&#x2019;s turn in combat (11), he takes all three Actions at that time.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>The character that has the highest initiative goes first, and then the character with the next highest initiative takes their turn, and so forth down the line until all combatants have taken a turn.</p>
  <p>Once all turns are over, the current round of combat is over. It then restarts with everyone&#x2019;s initiative being the same as it was in the previous round. This progression continues until combat is over. If the combatants change significantly during combat&#x2014;for example, if new characters show up on the scene&#x2014;the GM might want to make everyone re-roll their initiative. If something happens during combat that changes how many Actions the combatants have, the GM should ask that initiative be re-rolled.</p>
  <p>Some things that you might want to do will take up multiple Actions. A common example of this is spell casting, where many spells take several Actions to cast. If you do this, you may need to drag this type of Action across multiple Actions or even multiple turns. For example, let&#x2019;s say that you want to cast a spell that takes 3 Actions. You can use your first Action to start casting, and then use your second and third Actions to finish casting the spell. At any time you may cancel (stop casting) the spell or ability with no penalty. When an ability or activity requires multiple Actions, it always takes place on the final Action that completes that activity. Also, it is possible to be disturbed or disrupted if you are attacked while performing a multiple-action activity. The GM should take note of this and might impose skill checks or other chances of failure if you get knocked around too much.</p>
  <div class="note">
    <p>Note that everything you may wish to do in combat requires one or more Actions. This includes moving around, drawing a weapon, using items, etc. Undoubtedly, many of your Actions will be used for things other than attacking.</p>
  </div>
  <p>When in combat, some characters may want to delay their Action until later. A character can always choose to &#x201C;act later&#x201D; in combat. When doing so the player states what new initiative number he wishes to act on. The new initiative must be lower than his current initiative number. Once a character&#x2019;s initiative is delayed it remains delayed (though it could be delayed even further). That characters initiative remains at the new, lower, number for the remainder of combat, unless the GM asks all players to re-roll initiative. Actions cannot be split between different initiative numbers. So, a character must either take all his Actions at his normal initiative, or he must delay all his Actions to a later initiative.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Tom&#x2019;s initiative</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Tom&#x2019;s initiative roll is an 18. He and his fellow players were cornered by ogres for whom the GM has secretly rolled initiative. Tom has the highest initiative roll, so he goes first. Tom isn&#x2019;t exactly sure what to do, so he delays his initiative until &#x201C;10&#x201D;. The GM then resumes combat as normal, with the next highest initiative going first. Tom has initiative 10 for the remainder of combat.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Some game effects last a certain number of turns, or have a certain effect each turn. These effects are counted and take place on the affected character&#x2019;s turn. They only are counted and occur if the character begins that turn with the effect in place. These effects occur at the beginning of that character&#x2019;s turn in a given round. These effects are automatic and do not consume any time from the character. Resolve all effects before that character takes any Actions.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Lucy&#x2019;s turn in combat</p>
    </h1>
    <p>It is Lucy&#x2019;s turn in combat and she casts Regeneration on herself. The effect of the spell is that each turn she gains <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span> Hit Points. Now the spell has taken effect, but she does not gain any HP yet, nor does this turn count against the duration of the spell. Now all other combatants take their turns. When it is again Lucy&#x2019;s turn (next round) she gains her <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">4</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span> HP, just before her first Action This is also considered one turn out of the spell&#x2019;s duration.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>It is possible to &#x201C;hold an Action&#x201D; for later. Holding an Action means that the character is maintaining his current initiative number, but is saving an Action for a specific situation. A character may only hold one Action at a time. Furthermore, you must declare what your held Action will be, and under what circumstances. Held Actions are resolved as soon as their conditions are met. Held Actions &#x201C;expire&#x201D; if their declared conditions never occur at the beginning of your next turn.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Tom holds an Action</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Tom&#x2019;s initiative is 10. During his turn he spends one Action to move behind some cover and another to ready his longbow. Tom declares that he is going to hold his final Action. &#x201C;I am going to cover the hallway with my bow. If I see a goblin come out of the hallway, I&#x2019;m going to shoot at it.&#x201D; If a goblin does indeed come out of the hallway (and Tom can see this), then Tom may immediately take his held Action to fire an arrow at it. However, if no goblin comes down the hallway before Tom&#x2019;s next turn, then the held Action is wasted.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Notes for held Actions:</p>
  <ol class="numbered-list">
    <li>
      <p>You may only hold one Action at a time</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>You must state specifically what the conditions for your held Action must be, and what your Action will be once those conditions are met.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Your held Action can be any activity you could do in one Action (including attacking, moving, using a magical ability, etc.)</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Held Actions are lost if their triggering conditions never occur.</p>
    </li>
  </ol>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Weapons &amp; Equipment</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Most characters will carry equipment in combat. This usually includes weapons and armor. There are no &#x201C;class&#x201D; restrictions for weapons or armor. Any character can wear any armor and wield any weapon, provided that the character has the appropriate attributes and skills.</p>
  <p>Weapons have a minimum strength requirement (MSR). The MSR indicates what strength is required of the character to properly wield a given weapon. If the character&#x2019;s strength is less than the MSR, then the character has -1 to strike and [-1] damage for each point of strength difference.</p>
  <p>The raw damage bonus (RDB) is calculated by subtracting 8 from the wielder&#x2019;s Str. The RDB is added as raw damage to total of the weapon&#x2019;s damage. However, all weapons have a maximum strength bonus (MSB); if the RDB is greater than the MSB, then the MSB is used as the RDB instead.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>MSR for Bosk</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Bosk has a STR of 17 and is brandishing a Hercules Club (<span class="roll"><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">C</span></span>, MSR: 12, MSB: 13). Because Bosk&#x2019;s Str is higher than the minimum strength requirement of the Hercules Club (12), he is entitled to a damage bonus. Subtract 8 from Bosk&#x2019;s Str score to calculate his bonus: <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mn>17</mn><mo>-</mo><mn>8</mn><mo>=</mo><mn>9</mn></mrow></math>. So this means that Bosk deals <span class="roll"><span class="raw">9</span><span class="num">3</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">C</span></span> damage.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Bosk with Knife</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Suppose Bosk pulls out a long knife ( <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span><span class="kind">S</span></span> , MSR: 8; MSB: 4). Bosk&#x2019;s Str is significantly higher than the minimum required for the weapon. Calculating his theoretical bonus, we can write: 17 - 8 = 9. At first glance, it appears that Bosk is entitled to a [+9] bonus. However, the maximum strength bonus for the long knife is 4. Therefore, Bosk&#x2019;s damage roll would be <span class="roll"><span class="raw">4</span><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bOff">+</span><span class="bns">1</span></span>.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Bows never grant a damage bonus to characters with higher than required STR. However, it is possible to purchase stiffer (stronger) bows that can take advantage of a character&#x2019;s higher STR score. High-draw bows cost 20% more for every 1 STR point added to the MSR. For each point, add [+1] damage. This can be stacked. So, a +1 bow costs 20% extra, a +2 bow costs 40% extra, etc. Note that the maximum STR requirement that can be added to a bow of a given type is equal to half of its original MSR. Note that the damage and strike penalty for having a lower-than-required STR does apply to bows. Modern compound bows are adjustable and can be set to a higher than normal strength value without incurring additional cost.</p>
  <p>Characters will have two hands that they may use to wield weapons. All weapons are either one-hand or two-handed. Two-handed weapons, of course, require both hands to properly wield. One-handed weapons require only one hand. Therefore a player could wield one single-hand weapon, one two-handed weapon, two single-hand weapons, or one single-hand weapon and a shield or other item. However, when wielding two weapons the character can have penalties. Also, wielding two weapons does not grant the ability to the character to strike with both weapons in one Action In general, wielding two weapons gives the user -3 and -6 to strike with the primary and off -hand (respectively), and requires an additional Action These penalties can be mitigated with skills from Martial Arts.</p>
  <p>Characters that use magic, aside from Martial Magic, must have at least one hand free when casting spells. Characters that use Faith magic must have a holy symbol in their grasp when casting magic; this requires a free hand to hold. Spellcasters are free to use two-handed weapons so long as they aren&#x2019;t wielding the weapon at the same time as they are casting spells. (Spellcasters can put away a weapon, cast magic freely, and then draw their weapon again, though this takes time)</p>
  <p>All firearms are assumed to be 2-handed by default. However, pistols and submachine guns may be fired with one hand. (See rules for using 2-handed weapons with one hand below). Larger firearms including rifles, shotguns, and heavy weapons (rocket launchers, etc.) must always be used 2-handed. It always requires two hands to reload a firearm, no matter what kind it is.</p>
  <p>Bows are always two-handed weapons. Hand (small) crossbows can be aimed and fired with one hand. However, cocking and re-loading a crossbow always requires two hands. Larger crossbows always require two hands to fire as well as load. Siege weapons, cannons, heavy weapons, etc, always require both hands to be free in order to load, aim, and fire.</p>
  <p>It is possible to use two hands to fight with a one-handed weapon. In this case, the wielder has -1 to strike and effectively adds +3 to his strength.</p>
  <p>It is possible to use some two-handed weapons with one hand. To do so, add 4 to the minimum strength requirement of the weapon. Note that many two-handed weapons always require two hands, period. These are large firearms (rifles, shotguns), staves, pole arms, chains, and bows.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Dual-wielding Weapons or Weapon &amp; Shield</p>
  </h1>
  <p>As noted above, it is possible for characters to wield two weapons in combat, or a weapon and a shield. A character cannot attack with both weapons during the same Action unless he takes the Multi-weapon style skill in Martial Arts. A character using a weapon and a shield may not attack with his weapon and shield bash in the same Action for the same reason. When attacking with both weapons the character makes two separate attack rolls, one for each weapon; each attack is resolved separately. This takes two separate Actions.</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Two normal weapons</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>When wielding two weapons the weapon in the character&#x2019;s &#x201C;good&#x201D; hand receives a -3 to strike and the weapon in the character&#x2019;s &#x201C;off&#x201D; hand receives a -6. Some characters can have &#x201C;even-more-offhand&#x201D; weapons, such as a kick (or two), or literally having extra limbs. To calculate the negative to strike for wielding multiple weapons, first find the number of weapons being used, then order them (the strike order). The first weapon is at -3 to strike, the second at -6, the third ad -9, and so on, i.e. the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msup><mi>k</mi><mi>th</mi></msup></mrow></math> weapon is at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mn>-3</mn><mo>&#xD7;</mo><mi>k</mi></mrow></math> to strike.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Paired weapons</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>, or one normal weapon and one backup weapon: Some weapons are well suited to, or even designed for, use in the &#x201C;off&#x201D; hand. When using these weapons the penalty for the offhand weapon is -3 as opposed to -6. The penalty for the primary weapon remains -3. Specifically, these combinations are:</p>
      <ol class="numbered-list">
        <li>
          <p>Any type of knife may be used in the off-hand in combination with any standard (non exotic) one-handed weapon in the main hand.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
          <p>Two Kris, or one Kris Datoh (main hand) and one Kris (off hand).</p>
        </li>
        <li>
          <p>One Katana (main hand) and one Wakizashi (off hand), but only if the wielder is specialized in both weapons and takes the appropriate penalty for using the Katana one-handed.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
          <p>Any weapon that is normally used in pairs, such as Sai, Kama, tonfa, nunchaku, or Iron Claws.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
          <p>Two identical handguns, but only with the appropriate penalty for using them one-handed.</p>
        </li>
      </ol>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>One normal weapon and a shield or item</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>If the character is wielding a 1-handed weapon in his &#x201C;good&#x201D; hand, and his other hand is carrying a shield, a non-weapon holy symbol, or a utility item then there is NO strike penalty at all. For the purposes of this rule a utility item is something such as a torch, walking stick, magical totem, leash, or bag. Utility items are not weapons and must not require particular attention to carry.</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <p>If a character is wielding two weapons, he may always choose to attack with the main weapon only at no penalty. In this case the weapon in his off hand is considered merely carried, and is not &#x201C;ready&#x201D; for combat. An attack with the off-hand weapon is always made with the full penalty, regardless of what the &#x201C;main hand&#x201D; is doing.</p>
  <p>Note that the Ambidexterity skill from Martial Arts can reduce the dual-weapon penalty; and that the Multi-weapon Style skill allows the character to strike more than once during a single Action. A different approach is the use of the Multitarget skill which allows the martial artist to strike multiple times with a single weapon in a single Action</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Combat Overview</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Resolving an attack is a three-step process:</p>
  <ol class="numbered-list">
    <li>
      <p>The attacker makes a strike roll. A strike roll is an attempt to hit an opponent using a weapon or ability.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>The defender may attempt a defensive maneuver. A defensive maneuver is a special skill that is used to avoid or reduce the damage from an incoming attack.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>If the attack was successful, damage is rolled, calculated, and applied to the target.</p>
    </li>
  </ol>
  <p>This process is explained in detail below.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Attacking</p>
  </h1>
  <p>An attack is nearly anything that you try to do to an opponent during your turn. Typically an attack is a physical strike against your opponent with a weapon (such as your fist or a sword), but it could also be the use of a supernatural ability, magic spell, or a modern device such as a gun.</p>
  <p>When you attack, you use one of your skills in an attempt to damage your opponent. Normally, this will be a &#x201C;basic attack&#x201D;skill from Martial Arts. Any time you make an attack like this, you roll a Strike Roll. Strike roll is just a special name for a skill roll in combat&#x2014;they work just like normal skill rolls. To recap, roll a number of D20s equal to your level of the skill you are using to attack with (i.e. use the Large Sword skill to strike with your bastard sword), add your attribute and any bonuses or negatives. For each die that hits 25 or better, you have a success.</p>
  <div class="note">
    <p>If you have at least one success, you strike the target.</p>
  </div>
  <p>Otherwise you miss your target.</p>
  <p>Some attacks don&#x2019;t require a skill roll. This includes special attacks that automatically hit your opponent (such as certain abilities from Martial Arts) as well as magical spells or supernatural powers that are auto-targeting. For example, the magic spell Ray of Heat automatically hits your opponent, with no strike roll needed.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Defending</p>
  </h1>
  <p>The target of an attack usually receives an attempt to defend himself.</p>
  <div class="note">
    <p>Defending is using your skills to avoid getting hit by an incoming attack.</p>
  </div>
  <p>There are many different skills that are available for defense. They are called defensive maneuvers. A defensive maneuver is a special skill or ability that you use specifically in response to being attacked; otherwise they work like normal skills. A target of an attack may attempt to use any one defensive maneuver in order to protect himself from the attack. The most common are parrying, blocking, and the Dodge skill. These are described below. Other defensive maneuvers may be found in the Martial Arts section.</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Parry</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Parrying is using your weapon to deflect a blow from another weapon. Parrying may only be performed with melee weapons, against either a melee or hand to hand attack. Parrying is ineffective versus other attacks, such as explosives, bullets, chemical splashes, magical energy, etc. Parry is not a skill itself, rather the skill roll for parrying is based on the weapon skill you are trying to parry with. For example, you would use your Knife skill to parry using your dagger. You must have your weapon drawn and ready in order to use it to parry. Note, that this is the same skill that is used for attacking with your weapon, so most characters will have a good chance at parrying.</p>
      <div class="note">
        <p>A weapon or similar combat skill is used for parrying. Also note that parrying is always subject to GM approval. The GM determines the outcome of a successful parry, though it usually means that the defender avoids all damage. However, if you are parrying an attack from a heavy or large weapon with a small weapon, the GM might want to impose a different outcome.</p>
      </div>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Block</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Blocking is putting a shield between you and an incoming attack.</p>
      <div class="note">
        <p>Upon a successful block, a shield&#x2019;s armor values are added to any armor that you are currently wearing</p>
      </div>
      <p>(see below). You can attempt to block any incoming attack that you are aware of. Blocking can be used against melee attacks, missile weapons, arrows, gunshots, and unusual attacks such as a fireball or an acid splash. Larger shields will make it easier to block, more info can be found in the shields section.</p>
      <div class="note">
        <p>The Shield skill is used for blocking. Blocking means that the blow hits, but the defender gets to add the armor of the shield to his own armor value.</p>
      </div>
      <p>In the case of a non-standard attack, such as a splash of acid, the shield simply stops a certain percentage of the damage outright.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Dodge</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>one of the best types of defense. Dodge is an (expensive) skill; dodging is moving your body out of the way of an incoming attack. By sidestepping, ducking, throwing yourself to the ground or similar Action you can avoid any attack completely and take no damage. The Dodge skill is used for dodging. On a successful dodge the blow doesn&#x2019;t hit, period. However, dodge is a high rank skill, so most characters will not be very good at it.</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <p>Now that you know what the types of defenses are, we are going to lump them together and call them &#x201C;defense&#x201D; for the sake of simplicity for what is to follow.</p>
  <p>To defend against an attack, you must succeed at your defending skill roll. And you must have MORE successes at the attacker had in his attack roll. For example, if an attacker has 3 successes to strike you, then you would need at least 4 successes at your defensive skill to protect yourself. If you have fewer successes than the attacker, you are struck by the attack. You can only attempt to defend against an attack with one type of defense. You can only try to block, dodge, or parry once per attack but not multiple of these at a time (i.e. you cannot attempt to block and dodge the same attack). You can attempt to parry one attack and then dodge the next attack, however.</p>
  <p>If you are struck you will likely take damage from the attack. Also note that you cannot defend (parry, block, or dodge) an attack that you did not know about!</p>
  <p>Note that there are other defensive maneuvers aside from Dodge, Parry, and Block. These include certain magic spells (Blink, for example), martial arts abilities (such as Preemptive Dodge), or supernatural powers. Regardless of what defense a character chooses to use, only ONE defense maneuver may be used against any one incoming attack.<span class="footnote"><p>Some magical spells or super powers of a defensive nature are active for a set duration--usually several rounds. Such spells, such as full barrier, are not defensive maneuvers. These spells are independent of defense. A character using such a spell may still use a defensive maneuver if she chooses to. Magical spells, martial arts techniques, and supernatural abilities are considered defense maneuvers whenever they are single-use effects that are used against only one specific attack (such as Blink).</p></span><span class="footnote"><p>Some attacks, such as automatically targeting magical spells, will strike your opponent regardless of defense. Defensive maneuvers are ineffective against these spells. For example, Ray of Heat as discussed above will always strike its target. Call Lightning will always strike its target, if the caster succeeds on his magical control roll to cast the spell. For these abilities, defensive maneuvers have no effect.</p></span></p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Damage</p>
  </h1>
  <p>When an attack hits its target, it will inflict damage upon it. Every weapon has a damage rating associated with it as well as a damage type (for example: a dagger is a <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">P</span></span> weapon). The damage rating is the amount of damage it will do, and the damage type reflects how the weapon deals its damage.</p>
  <p>Here&#x2019;s a key of the different damage types with abbreviations in parenthesis and what they are typically associated with:</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Piercing (P)</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>using a sharp tip to penetrate the target creating a hole or deep cut within the target. Some melee weapons, most bullets, and other penetrating weapons deal piercing damage. Armor can protect against this type of damage.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Slashing (S)</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>using a cutting edge to slice the target creating a fairly shallow long cut within the target. Most melee weapons such as knives and swords, as well as lasers deal Slashing damage. Armor can protect against this type of damage.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Crushing (C)</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>using blunt trauma in an attempt to smash, fracture, or break the target. This is typically the hardest damage to protect against, and as such, is a favorite type of damage for melee combat. Punches, clubs, staves, and explosions deal Crushing damage. Armor can protect against this type of damage.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Undefined (U)</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>using energy to cause damage within the target. This can include electricity, heat, magic, sickness and other &#x201C;odd&#x201D; types of damage. Normal armor cannot protect against this type of damage. Only your character&#x2019;s Base Armor (BA) can protect you from undefined damage. Any time someone takes undefined damage he or she will always take at least one point of damage, regardless of the Base Armor.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Direct (D)</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>extremely damaging attacks deal D damage. There is no way to protect yourself from Direct Damage, as it will bypass all armor and other protections that you have on. Damage from D attacks is subtracted directly from Hit Points (HP).</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <p>Consider the dagger again: <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">P</span></span> </p>
  <p>This tells us that a strike from a Dagger deals <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/></span> damage. Also, we know that it deals piercing damage.</p>
  <p>Ok, so now we&#x2019;ve got our weapon&#x2019;s damage rating and it&#x2019;s damage type. Roll the given damage as described in the dice rolling section at the beginning of the rules section. The higher the damage roll, the more severe the attack was upon the target.</p>
  <p>After the damage roll is determined, subtract that damage from the target&#x2019;s Hit Points (HP). Armor can reduce the damage taken, which brings us to...</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Armor</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Armor is any covering that you are wearing or behind that will absorb some of the damage applied to you. All armor is given three numerical ratings for piercing, Slashing, and Crushing protection. The higher any one number is, the better it will protect you from that type of damage. Typically this value sequence is represented as P/S/C (Piercing/Slashing/Crushing). An example would be 3/2/3, which provides 3 points of piercing protection, two points of Slashing protection, and 3 points of Crushing protection.</p>
  <p>When taking damage subtract the armor value, which matches the damage type of the weapon, from the damage amount.</p>
  <p>Here are a few examples:</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Carlos vs. the Bandit</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Carlos was attacked by a bandit with a short sword. The bandit made his skill roll to attack and had three successes. Carlos attempts to parry and had only one success. Since Carlos has fewer successes than the attacker, he fails to parry and takes full damage. The GM rolls damage for the bandit and determines that the bandit&#x2019;s sword blow deals 8 damage. Carlos is wearing soft leather armor, which has a P/S/C rating of 2/3/0. We know the short sword dealt 8 damage. But it is a Slashing weapon (denoted by the S in the weapon damage), so the armor provides 3 points of protection against this attack. So we take the damage of the weapon (8) and the amount of protection the armor gives (3), and subtract the armor value from the weapon damage. So, Carlos just took 5 damage (8-3=5).</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Lira the Gladiator</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Lira is fighting a gladiator-style duel. Her opponent attacks with a spear and has two successes to hit. Lira wants to block and rolls her shield skill. She has four successes on her skill roll. This means that she successfully blocked the incoming attack with her shield. The GM rolls damage for the attack and gets 14 P. (that&#x2019;s a strong blow!) Lira is using a Splint Shield (P/S/C of 9/9/9) and is wearing Hard Leather armor (3/4/1). First, apply the damage against Lira&#x2019;s shield. Her shield has an armor of 9 versus P. This means that her shield stops 9 points of the incoming damage. However, since the spear blow dealt more damage than her shield has armor, the weapon continues through her shield&#x2014;which now has a hole in it. Lira now deals with the remaining 5 damage. (14 damage was dealt, minus the 9 taken by the shield = 5). Her armor has a P value of 3, meaning that she only takes 2 points of damage to her HP total. (14 damage - 9 from shield - 3 from armor = 2)</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Now that you have that, lets introduce a few tricks. The entire next two paragraphs are incredibly important, so pay attention!</p>
  <p>Weapons that deal undefined or Direct Damage (U or D damage) bypass all armor values. Undefined damage can be protected against by your character&#x2019;s Base Armor (BA) sub-attribute. Just subtract the BA from the damage taken as if the BA was normal armor. Note that Base Armor is not used for protecting against anything but undefined damage! A target will always lose at least one HP when hit with an attack that deals undefined damage.</p>
  <p>Direct Damage cannot be protected against. Not by normal armor, Base Armor, not anything. it&#x2019;s harsh, so be careful when on the receiving end of something that deals D damage. D damage is applied directly to your Hit Points.</p>
  <h1 class="subsubsection">
    <p>Armor Piercing</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Some weapons have a note that says &#x201C;AP&#x201D; followed by some number. This kind of weapon has an unusual ability to pierce armor. If an armored target is struck by a weapon with &#x201C;AP&#x201D;, the armor is reduced by the AP number for the purposes of damage calculation. Note, that this cannot go negative. If an &#x201C;AP: 10&#x201D; weapon strikes someone wearing 5 armor, then the armor is totally ignored. It does not, however, go to -5.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Lira Strikes With Gladius</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Lira is wielding a gladius, which is a type of short sword that has AP: 5. She successfully strikes her opponent, and rolls 11 damage. Her opponent has an armor of 7 versus Slashing damage. First, deduct the AP from the armor: 7 armor - 5 AP = 2. Then, deduct the armor from the damage like normal: 11 damage - 2 armor = 9 damage. Lira&#x2019;s opponent takes 9 damage.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Consider the same situation as above, but assume that Lira&#x2019;s opponent&#x2019;s armor is only a 3 versus Slashing. First, deduct the AP form the armor: 3 armor - 5 AP = -2. However, this cannot be negative, so we cap it at zero. Now, deduct the result from the damage: 11 damage - 0 = 11. Lira&#x2019;s opponent takes all 11 damage.</p>
  <p>AP is effective against armored targets, but it does nothing against unarmored targets. Note, that most weapons with AP don&#x2019;t deal very much damage. It is usually a good idea to use AP weapons versus armored targets only, and use &#x201C;normal&#x201D; weapons versus unarmored targets.</p>
  <h1 class="subsubsection">
    <p>Fire (F)</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Some weapons and spells have a note that says &#x201C;F&#x201D;, &#x201C;Fire&#x201D;, &#x201C;Fire Effect&#x201D;, or&#x201D; U Fire&#x201D;. These weapons deal fire damage. Unless stated otherwise Fire weapons deal U damage. As well, Fire effect weapons will ignite the target, as well as readily flammable materials within a 3&#x201D; radius of the blow. A target that is &#x201C;on fire&#x201D; will suffer an extra <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">U</span></span> damage each turn that the fire is still going. This starts on the &#x201C;next&#x201D; turn after the target is struck. Certain types of armor have Fire Protection. This means that this armor has the unique ability to resist heat and the damage caused by fire-effect sources. If a target with fire protection is struck with a fire-effect attack, damage dealt from the fire is zero and the target is not ignited. Fire protection on armor will only work three times before the armor must be repaired or replaced. Some armor is rated fire protection<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>&#xD7;</mi></math>2, which will take six fire-effect hits before loosing it&#x2019;s fire resistance, etc. Note that fire protection armor only resists the ignition effect and any heat (U) damage from the fire specifically. Therefore, if a weapon deals normal damage (P/S/C) AND has either Fire effect or Fire damage (U) then the fire-related effects are prevented but the standard damage (P/S/C) is treated as normal. Targets that are &#x201C;on fire&#x201D;suffer the damage on each of their turns.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>David deals Fire damage</p>
    </h1>
    <p>David shoots a Ghoul with a Flame blaster. This weapon deals <span class="roll"><span class="num">2</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">U</span></span> Fire. David rolls damage and ends up with 10 U. The target suffers the 10 damage. As well, the Ghoul suffers the fire effect and has been set on fire. On the ghoul&#x2019;s next turn it will suffer <span class="roll"><span class="num">1</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">U</span></span> from being on fire. This will continue until the fire is somehow put out.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Travis&#x2019;s armor resists Fire damage</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Travis is wearing Ceramic Plate armor and is shot with a 12-ga shotgun loaded with a meteor round. The meteor round deals <span class="roll"><span class="num">5</span><span class="face">6</span><span class="bns"/><span class="kind">C</span></span> + Fire and Travis&#x2019;s armor has 8 points of protection vs. C, and has Fire protection. The attacker rolls 19 C damage. Travis takes 11 damage from the C portion of the blow, but his armor resists the ignition effect so he is not set on fire and suffers no further damage from the attack.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Combat with Different types of Weapons and Effects</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Apathy includes rules for combat with melee weapons, ranged weapons, firearms, magic, and so forth. The rules for attacking and defending with different kinds of weapons and effects are detailed here.</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Hand-to-Hand attacks:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Hand-to-hand attacks include things like punches, kicks, and body weapons (teeth, claws, etc.). Hand-to-hand combat may be Parried, Dodged, or Blocked.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Melee Weapons:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Melee weapons are handheld weapons that are not thrown or launched. This includes swords, knives, axes, hammers, most polearms, etc. Melee weapon attacks may be Parried, Dodged, or Blocked.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Missile Weapons:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Missile weapons are archaic type weapons which are thrown or launched at the target. This includes throwing knives, thrown spears, arrows, crossbow bolts, sling bullets, etc. Missile weapons may be Dodged, or Blocked normally but may not be parried (except for special abilities that may allow one to parry them)</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Projectile Weapons:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>Projectile weapons are guns, shotguns, rifles, pistols, lasers, particle beams, and other fast moving kinetic weapons. Projectile weapons may be Dodged or Blocked, but NOT Parried.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Explosives:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p> &#x201C;Explosives&#x201D; in this case includes such things as grenades, molotov cocktails, bottles of acid, etc. These attacks may be Dodged or Blocked. Note, these attacks have a blast radius. If the defender has 1 more success than the attacker, it means that a direct hit was avoided but the defender still suffers the radius damage. If the defender has two or more successes over the attacker it means the entire attack was defended against. If the attacker ties or beats the defender then the defender takes full damage. Note that most true explosives, such as grenades, missiles, or bombs, deal double damage on a direct hit and normal damage in their blast radius.</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Hit Points</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Hit Points are numbers used to represent how injured or healthy a character is. A character will have TWO Hit Point numbers. Your maximum Hit Points determines how tough your character is at full health. This number will rarely change. It is determined by your BLD and WIL attributes, and will rarely change unless your attributes change.</p>
  <p>Your current Hit Points is the most important number. It will likely change frequently during combat. Hit Points are generally represented as a fraction:<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mfrac><mi>Current~HP</mi><mi>Max HP</mi></mfrac></math>. When the game begins, your character will be fully healthy and uninjured. Thus, when starting, your current HP will be equal to your maximum.</p>
  <p>As you get injured, any damage you take (after applying armor, etc.) will be applied to your current HP. As you get injured, your current HP drops. Over time, your body will heal itself, and your HP will go up. Seeking medical attention will speed this process. Other things, like magic or cybernetic devices, can heal you as well.</p>
  <p>Your current HP can never exceed your maximum HP. As a general rule for minor injuries (less than 5 HP), you gain back 1 HP per day of average activity. For significant HP losses, it takes <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>Maximum</mi><mo>-</mo><mi>Current</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math> days to fully recover your HP.</p>
  <p>If a character is resting and is under basic medical care, then your healing time is cut in HALF. If your character is under the care of a professional Doctor or Healer, healing time is cut to one QUARTER of normal time.</p>
  <p>If your current HP falls below 0, your character falls unconscious. It is possible to remain conscious by making a willpower check at -X, where X is the amount below zero your HP are. If your current HP are below 0, your character is bleeding badly (internal bleeding is possible too) and you will loose 1 HP per round, unless you receive medical attention. If your current HP ever reaches the negative of your maximum HP, you have died.</p>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Called Shots</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Whenever a character attacks he is aiming for the most convenient blow that he can make. It is assumed that this is a &#x201C;center mass&#x201D; attack: In other words, the attacker hits the largest, most obvious, portion of the target&#x2019;s body. For humans and most animals this is the torso area.</p>
  <p>However, there are times when a character may want to strike a specific part of the target&#x2019;s body. Attacks that are aimed at a specific portion of a target are called shots. Called shots may be attempted with any kind of attack or weapon. The attacker must be able to see and identify the exact target that he is trying to hit.</p>
  <p>When performing a called shot the attacker must declare in advance that he is making a called shot, and where he is aiming. It takes one action for the character to identify and focus on the specific target that he wants to hit. A called shot always incurs a strike penalty. Consult the called shot table on the reference sheet for the appropriate negative. If the attacker fails his strike roll, then the attack missies completely. (It does not, for example, hit &#x201C;normally&#x201D; as opposed to the called target). If the attacker makes his strike roll, then the target may defend as normal.</p>
  <p>A called shot cannot be attempted with an auto-targeting magic spell, such as Ray of Heat; these effects always strike &#x201C;center mass&#x201D;. However, called shots may be attempted with magical spells that require a roll, such as Fireball or Call Lightning.</p>
  <p>The effects of a called shot are left up to the GM to resolve on a case-by-case basis. The effects would depend on the location of the called shot and also the amount and nature of the damage dealt.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Philip misses the troll</p>
    </h1>
    <p>Philip has engaged a troll in combat, and declares that he wishes to make a called shot, aiming for the troll&#x2019;s head. The GM assigns a strike penalty of&#x2014;8 for the called shot. Philip fails his strike roll, and therefore misses the target completely.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Morgdar is fighting a lizardman.</p>
    </h1>
    <p>He attempts to make a called shot targeted at the lizardman&#x2019;s eye. He successfully makes his called shot and the lizardman fails to defend. The GM asks that damage be rolled. Morgdar&#x2019;s spear deals 3 damage. The GM rules that enough damage has been dealt to put out the lizardman&#x2019;s eye, thereby preventing it from attacking properly in combat. The GM notes that had Morgdar rolled higher damage, then the blow could have been instantly lethal.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <h1 class="subsection">
    <p>Cover</p>
  </h1>
  <p>Cover is something that a character or a creature is obscured by. Cover has two effects:</p>
  <ol class="numbered-list">
    <li>
      <p>Cover can make a target, or a specific part of a target, difficult to see and therefore difficult to hit in combat.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>Cover can act like armor, which can reduce or even prevent damage that would otherwise harm a target.</p>
    </li>
  </ol>
  <p>A target has cover if there is something between the attacker and the target. This something could be foliage, walls, other combatants, etc. The exact amount of cover should be determined by the GM. A target has total cover when the target is completely obscured by the covering object. In the case of total cover, the attacker cannot see the target at all.</p>
  <p>An attacker has two options when confronted with a covered target.</p>
  <dl class="description-list">
    <dt>
      <p>Attempt to strike around cover:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>The attacker takes aim at part(s) of the target that are not behind cover. This assigns a negative to the attacker&#x2019;s strike roll, which is determined by the GM. Refer to the reference sheet for sample strike penalties for cover. The attacker may also attempt a called shot against a portion of the target&#x2019;s body that is not behind cover using the normal called shot negatives. If the attacker fails the strike roll, then the attack misses, period.</p>
    </dd>
    <dt>
      <p>Attempt to strike through cover:</p>
    </dt>
    <dd>
      <p>The attacker strives to hit the target like normal, trusting that the weapon will penetrate the cover and strike the target anyway. When doing so, the attacker has a&#x2014;2 to strike regardless of the severity of the cover. This&#x2014;2 is in addition to any other penalties that might be present as well. Then, deduct the armor value of the cover from the damage dealt by the attack, just as if the defender were using a shield.</p>
    </dd>
  </dl>
  <p>A target that has total cover is completely hidden, and may not be targeted at all.</p>
  <p>A magic using character may still attack using an auto-targeting spell if ANY portion of the target&#x2019;s body is visible. This incurs no strike penalty whatsoever. However, if the magical effect is impeded by the cover, then damage may be reduced.</p>
  <p>The act of ducking behind cover will give a bonus to Dodge rolls. However, the cover does not provide a strike penalty or armor bonus unless the targeted character was already behind the cover before the attack started (in which case there is no dodge bonus).  In other words, jumping behind cover can provide a dodge bonus, or the aforementioned armor/strike penalty but never both at the same time.</p>
  <p>Targets that are actively attempting to hide behind cover are often restricted in their movements. When crouching or standing carefully to use cover, defenders are at&#x2014;3 to all defensive maneuver rolls that they choose to use. Note that if the cover is sufficiently large then it doesn&#x2019;t require any special effort to hide behind it. In this case there is no penalty to defensive maneuvers.</p>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Darin and her comrades are fighting a group of trolls.</p>
    </h1>
    <p>One troll has ducked behind some rocks. The GM states that the troll has half cover due to hiding behind the rocks. If Darin wants to shoot the troll with her crossbow, she has&#x2014;8 to strike, OR she may choose to make a called shot against some part of the troll that is not behind cover. In that case she must take the called shot penalty for whatever target she selects.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote class="example">
    <h1 class="title">
      <p>Mikus is in a gunfight.</p>
    </h1>
    <p>His opponent, a local gangster, has ducked behind the door of a nearby car. The GM rules that the gangster has dense cover, and thus Mikus has&#x2014;12 to strike him. Mikus decides he&#x2019;d rather take chances with the armor value of the car&#x2019;s door rather than try and shoot the gangster at such a high penalty. Mikus takes aim at where he thinks the gangster&#x2019;s body is situated behind the car door&#x2014;thereby incurring a&#x2014;2 for attempting a shot through cover. Mikus makes his roll. Rolling damage for his .224 BOZ, he deals 19 damage. The car&#x2019;s door provides 8 armor&#x2014;not enough to stop the bullet. The unfortunate gangster suffers the remaining 11 damage.</p>
  </blockquote>
</root>
